Bravo has announced it has ordered Step It Up, a new reality series that blends elements of So You Think You Can Dance and Project Runway, with open casting calls for interested dancers scheduled to be held in several U.S. over the next month.
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Step It Up is being produced by Magical Elves' producers Jane Lipsitz and Dan Cutforth -- the same duo behind Bravo's Project Runway and Top Chef reality series. It will follow a similar format to the aforementioned shows, combining competitions with behind-the-scenes footage of what it takes to make it in the professional dance industry.
"We believe there is an emotional, dramatic and visually exciting side of the dance world that has yet to be explored," said Lipsitz. "We are very excited to take the same organic and passionate approach to dance, as we do to cooking in Top Chef and fashion in Runway."
Dancers competing against one another in Step It Up will be put through a series of challenges that will have them auditioning for various roles, such as a music video or Las Vegas stage show. In addition, the challenges are designed to both showcase the dancers' moves and test their abilities, with contestants being eliminated and only one receiving the cash grand prize.
"Step It Up pulls back the curtain on one of the most lively arts and one of America's favorite pastimes - dance," said Frances Berwick, Bravo's executive vice-president of programming and production. "Like other creative professions, dance inherently has all the ingredients of competition and drama that make Bravo shows so compelling to watch."
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Those interested in attending one of Step It Up's upcoming open casting calls must be at least 18-years-old as of September 1. Open casting calls are currently scheduled for Los Angeles on September 22; Chicago on September 29; New York on October 6; and Atlanta on October 13.
Additional information, such as applications and further casting requirements, is available via Bravo's website.
About The Author: Christopher Rocchio